Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is dealing with a knee injury and a pinky finger injury on his throwing hand. He’s been dealing with injuries in some way or another throughout the season, and Burrow is coming off of a terrible injury from last season. Joe Mixon, Chidobe Awuzie, and Tee Higgins are all questionable this weekend, but will Burrow be available today for fantasy football managers?
Update 12/12/21: According to the Bengals, despite his pinky injury, Joe Burrow will be active for their game against the 49ers.
What injuries is Joe Burrow dealing with?
Burrow is dealing with a knee injury and a finger injury that he suffered in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13. The knee injury isn’t overly concerning, but his pinky finger injury could affect the way he throws the ball.
The injuries don’t seem overly concerning, as Burrow continued to progress throughout the week. He didn’t participate in Bengals practice on Wednesday. He then practiced on Thursday in a limited capacity before becoming a full participant on Friday.
What would the offense look like without him?
If Burrow can’t play this weekend, Brandon Allen will likely draw the start. Allen hasn’t performed well for the Denver Broncos or Bengals throughout his career. Overall, he’s thrown for 1,453 yards with 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on 230 attempts.
Allen would be a massive downgrade to the Cincinnati offense, and he wouldn’t be worth streaming in fantasy football. With that being said, running back Joe Mixon and wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase will still boast value against the San Francisco 49ers. In that situation, the Bengals would rely heavily on Mixon, assuming he’s active. Allen has flashed the ability to support some receivers, though. His presence in the offense would make Higgins and Chase significantly riskier than if Burrow were to start.
Will Burrow play in Week 14?
Burrow isn’t currently on the injury report for Cincinnati, and he’s expected to start this weekend. Burrow adds plenty to the Bengals’ offense even with his pinky injury. The injury didn’t slow him down in the fourth quarter last week, and it’s unlikely to slow him down this weekend.
With Burrow starting, Mixon, Chase, and Higgins will all have their usual fantasy appeal. Tyler Boyd is a risky option. Nonetheless, he can also be considered as a flex option if you’re in a tough situation. At tight end, C.J. Uzomah makes a reasonable option, as Burrow has the potential to support him as well.
Ultimately, the young quarterback elevates this offense drastically over anyone else who would play under center, even with his finger injury.